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Damascus celebrates 36th Annual Appalachian Trail Days Festival


DAMASCUS, VA – Damascus is celebrating its 36th year of the world-famous Appalachian Trail Days Festival on May 19-21, 2023, as the town gears up for another busy season of hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Known as “Trail Days” by locals and hikers, the event is a celebration of the Appalachian Trail and hiker culture. The title sponsor again this year is Hyperlite Mountain Gear, a company popular among hikers for its ultralight backpacks, shelters, tarps, and accessories.

Trail Days is the biggest event of the year in Trail Town USA, Damascus, Virginia. Each year, the town swells from 700 residents to an estimated 20,000 people. Hikers catch shuttles in from towns up to two hours away. Past-year hikers come to town to reunite with friends from the trail. Residents of Southwest Virginia and the Tri-Cities come to be a part of the experience, whether for the weekend or just for a day. Volunteers come from across the Southeast US and beyond to support the Trail Days Ministry Team. The event is so large that the town hosts a campground area, known as Tent City, to help accommodate the crowds.

The Trail Days event is family-friendly, free to the public, and packed with activities. The town park fills with vendors of handmade goods and some of the best outdoor gear in the industry, as well as nonprofit trail partners and a busy schedule of lectures, workshops, and live music throughout downtown. The Trail Days stage in the Town Park has free music from 12:30 PM on Friday to 4:30 PM on Sunday. Local businesses offer event specials. Fan favorites include the hiker talent show, hiker parade and water fight, drum circle at Tent City, and abundant “trail magic” free services offered throughout the town.

Event Schedule Highlights:

  • –  Saturday, May 20 at 2pm – Trail Days Hiker Parade – Bring your super soaker and line up along Laurel Avenue for the Trail Days Hiker Parade! Thru-hikers and trail clubs line up at Sundog Outfitter at 1:30pm to participate in the parade.
  • –  Saturday, May 20 at 3pm – Trail Days Auction at the Gazebo in the Town Park – Proceeds benefit “The Place” Hostel, operated by Damascus United Methodist Church, the oldest hostel on the AT.
  • –  Saturday, May 20 at 8pm – Contra Dance at the Rock School Auditorium – called by AT thru-hiker Warren Doyle. Beginners’ Lesson beforehand at 7pm.
  • –  Sunday, May 21 at 10:30am – Praise & Worship Service at Laurel Creek Park with a message by Brad ‘Shep’ Sasser and worship led by the Trail Days Ministry Team
  • –  Sunday, May 21 at 11am – Osprey Packs Trail Days 5K & Run Happy Kid’s 1K on the Virginia Creeper Trail by the Caboose in the Town Park. Certified out-and-back 5K with B-tag timing by We Run Events.
  • –  Sunday, May 21, 11am to 2pm – Rain Garden Workshop at the Damascus Trail Center with the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable and Washington County Master Gardeners.
  • –  Sunday, May 21, 2:30-4:30pm – Live music by Phantom, local favorite, at the gazebo in the Town Park!

About the Appalachian Trail (AT):

  • –  The Appalachian Trail is a continuous footpath from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. The official length of the Appalachian Trail (AT) is 2,198.4 miles in 2023. The total length of the AT typically changes slightly each year due to footpath relocations and more precise measurement techniques, but generally remains around 2,200 miles long.
  • –  The Appalachian Trail is managed through a unique cooperative management system with the National Park Service, US Forest Service, dozens of state agencies, and 30 local Trail Maintaining Clubs. The Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club helps maintain the AT around Damascus.
  • –  The Appalachian Trail is within a day’s drive of over half of the United States population.
  • –  Each year, a few thousand people attempt what is known as a “thru-hike” of the Appalachian Trail,where they hike the entire length of the trail at once. Thru-hiking takes about six months for the average person to complete. 2023 hiker registration data can be found at https://atcamp.org/.About Damascus, Virginia:
  • –  Damascus is known among hikers as the “Friendliest Town on the Appalachian Trail.”
  • –  Damascus is home to the new Damascus Trail Center, one of three visitor centers managed by theAppalachian Trail Conservancy along the entire length of the AT.
  • –  Damascus is uniquely situated as one of just three downtowns that the AT passes through, along withHot Springs, North Carolina and Hanover, New Hampshire.
  • –  Virginia is home to 544 miles of the Appalachian Trail, which is nearly a quarter of the trail’s entirelength and more than any other state.
  • –  Damascus is the gateway to Virginia on the Appalachian Trail. The estimated 75% of thru-hikers thathike northbound from Georgia to Maine are known as NOBOs and Damascus is their first stop in thestate.
  • –  Many NOBO thru-hikers plan their entire journey around reaching Damascus, Virginia in time for TrailDays. Many of those who end up ahead or behind on the trail will catch a shuttle to Damascus so theycan still participate in the festival.
  • –  In addition to the Appalachian Trail, the following trails also pass through Damascus: Virginia CreeperTrail, Iron Mountain Trail, TransAmerica Bicycle Trail / Route 76, TransVirginia Bike Route, Mid-AtlanticBackcountry Discovery Route, and The Crooked Road.
  • –  Damascus is a gateway community to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and “the rooftop ofVirginia,” the three highest peaks in the state: Mount Rogers, Whitetop Mountain, and Wilburn Ridge.

Trail Days 2023 Schedule of Events

The schedule is subject to change. To see an updated schedule, visit www.VisitDamascus.org/TrailDays.


Saturday, May 13th
7am-3pm: TOWN-WIDE YARD SALE… Bargains on every street!
9am-noon at Laurel Creek Park: Stop by the Damascus Farmers Market for fresh and local produce, meats,eggs, baked goods, craft items, and more. Laurel Creek Park is located downtown by the Post Office and Damascus Old Mill Inn.
9am-noon at the Gazebo in the Town Park: Dr. John Roberts of VCA Highlands Animal Hospital is holding a rabies clinic. Other routine vaccines will also be available at a discounted price! Please bring dogs on leashes and cats in crates. vcahighlandsva.com

Wednesday, May 17th
9am-3pm: “The Place” 10th Annual Work Day – Come and be part of this 10th Annual Work Day at The Place Hostel. Free lunch provided for the first 25 volunteers. Volunteers are welcome to stay the night before the work day and thru Trail Days (Sunday morning). Lend a hand in taking care of the oldest hostel on the Appalachian Trail. Contact roy_hiking@yahoo.com or www.facebook.com/theplacehostel for more information.
6pm in the Town Park: Cookout & Music with the Trail Days Ministry Team. Everyone is welcome. (If it
rains, this event will be moved under the tent at One Way Ministries.)

Thursday, May 18th
Manufacturer Representatives will be in the Tent City parking lot from Thursday (18th) to Saturday (20th) to assist hikers with equipment repairs, gear advice, and specialized services. These Reps are here to help with any issues you may be having with your gear and they generously donate their time and skills to provide FREE gear repairs, expert fitting, and other services to the A.T. community. We hope you’ll take advantage of this service opportunity in the Tent City parking area, but even if you don’t need any repairs, stop by and thank them for what they do!
9am-5pm daily Thurs-Sat at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City – Guess the Pack’s Weight contest.

3pm at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City – Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 chair prize per event.
5:30-8pm at One Way Ministries: Hiker Feast (free tickets required – get them at Info Tents or One Way)
6-8pm at Laurel Creek Park: Backpacker’s 50th Anniversary Celebration with live music by Into the Fog and a beer garden by The Damascus Brewery. Chance to win great prizes from the Get Outside Tour too!

Friday, May 19th
7:30am at One Way Ministries: Prayer Gathering. Everyone is Welcome!
8-10am at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center booth in the Town Park: Join naturalist Cade Campbell for a Birding by Ear Walk. Take a stroll along the trail and listen for bird songs as a method of identification. Although not required, participants are encouraged to bring a pair of binoculars!
www.blueridgediscoverycenter.org.
8:30-10am at the Rock School Auditorium: How has thru-hiking/section hiking changed over the last 50 years? A moderated discussion led by 18 time AT hiker, Warren Doyle, who has been attached to the trail since 1973.
9am-2:30pm at First Baptist Church: Blood Drive with the Marsh Regional Blood Center’s Bloodmobile
9am-5pm daily Thurs-Sat at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City – Guess the Pack’s Weight contest.
10am–1pm at One Way Ministries: Dr. John Roberts of VCA Highlands Animal Hospital will be doing hiking dog check-ups. vcahighlandsva.com
10am at One Way Ministries: Cornhole tournament
10am-6pm at the Damascus Branch Library: Relax & Chill Zero Day – Offering refreshments, crafting stations with special crafts for hikers, board games, adult coloring, giant Jenga, croquet on the lawn, bubble guns, etc. There will also be popular movies available, charging stations, free wifi, lounging inside and out, and public computers.
11am at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
11:30am-1pm at the Rock School Auditorium: ALDHA’s Annual Hiker Feed. ALDHA is the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. Come to enjoy the camaraderie and food. ALL ARE WELCOME, hikers, hikers’ friends, and dreamers. Volunteers needed and food donations greatly appreciated. For more information contact coordinator@aldha.org or visit www.aldha.org.
12pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: BearVault Program – Stop by the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister.
12-8pm at the Trail Town Event Center: Shop Till You Drop vendor market with thru-hikers and local artisans selling their handcrafted and AT-themed products. Custom jewelry, photos, artwork, wood carvings, candles, books, clothing, animal hides, and more.12:30-2:30pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by Anthony Childress
Experience! Hailing from East Tennessee, Anthony Childress Experience brings familiar sounds in an
unfamiliar way to connect with artists, performers, and listeners alike.
1pm at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City – Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 chair prize per event.
1pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
1pm at One Way: Eating Contest – Great prizes! Registration starts at 1pm – eating starts at 2!
2pm at the Damascus Trail Center: Virginia’s Lost Appalachian Trail. From 1930-1952, the Appalachian Trail from Damascus to Roanoke followed an entirely different route from the one it takes today. AT historian MillsKelly of The Green Tunnel podcast tells the story of this 300-mile-long lost section of the trail and will show usphotos he gathered from archives and personal collections, many of which have never been seen by the hiking community.
2-3pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: “Chasing Sunsets”. A relatively new, full-bearded face on the AT, Trail Marshall took his first step on the AT in 2020. Since then he has completed the Mountains to Sea Trail (1,175 miles across NC) and the Benton Mackaye Trail. He is currently working on his second AT thru-hike. He believes there is more good than bad in the world. He uses his trail experiences to prove this to his many followers on social media – Trail Marshall hiking on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.
3-5pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by Joey’s Van! Joey’s Van is a cover band based out of Bristol, TN playing a wide variety of 90’s/00’s popular covers.
3pm at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City – Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 chair prize per event.
3pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AMon Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
3:15-4:15pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: Attack of the Vampires. Peggy Vann (ALDHA) They can
swarm or quietly lie in waiting to sting, bite, or suck on us all the way up the trail. Come to this interactive workshop on how to avoid these critters and to recognize the diseases they carry when they do get us. www.aldha.org.
4pm at the Granite Gear booth in the Town Park: Swing by anytime before 4pm on Friday to get entered into Granite Gear’s “Trail Name” raffle! 30 minutes of pure gear-giving-away! Simply stop by and pick up your “Trail Name” sticker and drop your name in the hat. It’s that easy! Participants must be wearing the corresponding Trail Name sticker at the time of the event and be present at the booth to win.
4:30-5:30pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: Write Your Adventure. Christine Reed, author, will lead an interactive workshop discussing the power of storytelling and sharing your hiking experience with the world. Bring your journal, leave with the beginnings of a powerful scene. www.aloneinwonderland.com
5pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
5pm at the Damascus United Methodist Church: Richard Antony, author of ‘Finding Myself on the
Appalachian Trail’ will explain what motivated him to write an uplifting story describing how hiking the A.T. altered one man’s life. He can also be found in the Authors’ Tent in the Town Park.5:30-7:30pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by Gents & Liars! The
needle has landed on the Gents & Liars, a band of groove engineers based out of Johnson City, Tennessee.
7-8:30pm at the Rock School Auditorium: The Unlikely Thru-Hiker. Be enthralled by Derick Lugo (Mr.
Fabulous) as he inspires unlikely hikers. A young black man setting off from NYC (Brooklyn) with an extremely overweight pack and a willfully can-do attitude. What can go wrong, right? He refuses to let any challenge get in his way, persevering with humor, tenacity, and unshakeable commitment to go the distance. Book signing to follow. www.dericklugo.com.
8-10pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by The Tan & Sober
Gentlemen! This band aims to explore the Irish and Scottish roots of North Carolinian music and to play it with as much energy as humanly possible.
9-10:30pm at the Rock School Auditorium: My 55y.o. Love Affair with the AT. Come be regaled by Warren Doyle who has attended all Trail Days. His record speaks for itself. Be prepared to be entertained, amused, agitated, enlightened and/or pushed out of your comfort zone (just like the trail does to hikers). The question of “What motivates someone to walk the entire trail 18 times?” may be answered by the end of this program. www.warrendoyle.com

Saturday, May 20th
7-10am at One Way Ministries: All-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for $5, youth fundraiser.
7:30am at One Way Ministries: Prayer Gathering – Everyone is Welcome!
8:30-9:45am at the Rock School Auditorium: 38,000 miles of Trail Stories. Get your day started with
interactions with a platoon of heavily-armed soldiers, an opera singer, a buffet treadmill, giardia, two American kids from the heartland, and zoo-imprisoned, ‘body electric’ Walt Whitman. No mention of equipment or hostels. www.warrendoyle.org
9am-noon at Laurel Creek Park: Stop by the Damascus Farmers Market for fresh and local produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, craft items, and more. Laurel Creek Park is located downtown by the Post Office and Damascus Old Mill Inn.
9am-5pm daily Thurs-Sat at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City – Guess the Pack’s Weight contest.
9:30-11am at the Old Mill Conference Room: AT RunVenture: The Busy Moms’ Guide to Logistics. An
adventure tale of two mother-runners (i.e.,Meg Landymore; Celia Eicheldinger) taking on the entire
Appalachian Trail without losing their jobs, their sanity and their family balance. They will take the audience on a deep dive into the planning and logistics, as well as the laughter and struggle of leading a double life. www.mxgadventures.com.
10-11:15am at the Rock School Auditorium: Grandma Gatewood’s Walk. Join actress Anne Van Curran as she transforms into “Emma” Grandma Gatewood to describe what it was like to be the first woman to solo hike the AT in 1955. A dramatization based on the book “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk mountainstorytelling.com
10:30-11:30am at the Damascus Trail Center: Hopeful Haints: American Chestnuts and the Appalachian Trail – Do you believe in ghosts? Well, we’ve got proof! Come hear the story of the once-great American Chestnut, its untimely demise, and how it may yet return with your help. Presented by the American Chestnut Foundation. https://acf.org
11am until sold out: Support the Veterans Memorial of Damascus! The Veterans Memorial Committee will be serving pulled pork sandwich or chicken breast with beans, chips, and a drink at the Veterans Memorial at the south end of the Town Park. All proceeds will go to construction and maintenance of the memorial. Visit us on Facebook @VeteransMemorialofDamascus. Come on by and enjoy the best BBQ in the south!
11am-noon at the Damascus Branch Library: Foraging for Edibles on the Trail with Ben Casteel – Walk with Horticulturist Ben Casteel and he’ll explain the kinds of plants you can forage and eat on the trail, and which you should avoid! (This is a very popular event and there will be books and displays on this subject in the Library.)
11am at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
11:15-12:30pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: The Wonder of Woods Hole. Come hear about a special place along the trail south of Pearisburg. Find out what makes this spot like no other. Neville Harris, the guiding spirit behind this oasis, will share her thoughts/feelings on Woods Hole’s past, present, and future.
11:30am-1pm at the Rock School Auditorium: First Border-to-Border Calendar Year Triple Crown
Completer. Come hear Carl ‘Professor’ Stanfield as he hiked all three major north-to-south long-distance trails in 2022 including the ECT from Key West. Instagram @prof_carl
12-4pm at Wicked Chicken Winghouse & Tavern: Live music by Adam Musick
12-1pm at the Damascus Branch Library: Herbal First Aid & Remedies on the Trail with Megan Boissiere. Megan is a Flower Essence Therapy practitioner and herbalist and she will explain how to find and use herbal remedies and tinctures on the trail to help with blisters, tension, sore muscles, cuts, and more.
12pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: BearVault Program – Stop by the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister.
12pm at the DryFoxCo booth in the Town Park: Join the DryFoxCo Packing Challenge demo to learn how to pack up DryFoxCo ultralight adventure towels into their built-in storage pocket, show off how it’s done, and then be entered to win 1 of 3 sets of compact towels that are perfect for on-and-off-the-trail use.
12-8pm at the Trail Town Event Center: Shop Till You Drop vendor market with thru-hikers and local artisans selling their handcrafted and AT-themed products. Custom jewelry, photos, artwork, wood carvings, candles, books, clothing, animal hides, and more.
12:30-2:30pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by Swim In The Wild, a new Rock-Folk-Americana fusion with so much East Coast energy that it needs its own identity!
12:30 at the Damascus Trail Center: Hardcore Reunion – Celebrate the past times! Tennessee Eastman
Hiking and Canoe Club will be at the Damascus Trail Center for a celebration of previous Hardcore work trips. Come see old friends, find yourself in the Hardcore Yearbooks, and learn about stewardship along the Appalachian Trail. Light refreshments will be provided.
12:30pm at the Granite Gear booth in the Town Park: Swing by anytime before 12:30pm on Saturday to get entered into Granite Gear’s “Trail Name” raffle! 30 minutes of pure gear-giving-away! Simply stop by and pick up your “Trail Name” sticker and drop your name in the hat. It’s that easy! Participants must be wearing the corresponding Trail Name sticker at the time of the event and be present at the booth to win.
12:45-1:45pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: An Introduction to Walking as a Sacred Practice.
Thru-hiker Collin ‘Rabid’ Collins program is part story, part guided-visualization, part practical and inspirational tool to begin a regular walking practice for whole health. www.WildwoodMagic.com1pm at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City. Musical
Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 chair prize per event.
1pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
1-3pm at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center booth in the Town Park: Join naturalist Cade Campbell for an AT Plant ID Walk on the trail identifying both native and non-native plants. Learn identification tricks, edible properties, and some history of the plants along the AT. www.blueridgediscoverycenter.org.
1:30pm: Trail Days Hiker Parade Line-Up in front of Sundog Outfitter.
2pm: Trail Days Hiker Parade from Sundog Outfitter to the Town Park.
2pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: BearVault Program – Stop by the
Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister.
3pm at the Gazebo in the Town Park: Trail Days Live Auction! Outdoor gear, crafts, books, and more! Also on auction will be lodging, bike shuttles, meals, and other gift certificates. All proceeds will benefit “The Place” Hostel, operated by the Damascus United Methodist Church, the oldest hostel on the Appalachian Trail. Donations are requested before noon on the day of the auction: please bring donations to the auction trailer in the Town Park. This year’s auctioneer is provided by A OK Auction Gallery, LLC of Damascus, VA. Contact TK Waters at tkpratt47@gmail.com for more information and/or to make donations.
3pm at the Big Agnes/Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s booth in the Free Gear Repair Area at Tent City – Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 chair prize per event.
3pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
3:30-5pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: “Did you even see anything hiking so fast?” Talking Trail
FKT’s/Records with Candy Mama & Mercury. Tara ‘Candy Mama’ Dower (AT19; MTS and BMT record
holder) and Liz ‘Mercury’ Derstine (AT20; AT, LT and PT record holder) shed light on their perspectives as thru-hikers and record holders: what it’s like after a FKT (Fastest Known Time) on a long-distance trail; what they learned from their experiences; the controversies and criticisms that come up with FKTs; and tips on how to go for it yourself – be it a FKT or a personal record. Q&A session to follow. Instagram@tara.dower, www.mercuryontherun.com
4pm at the Gazebo in the Town Park: Hiker Talent Show! Sign up in the Town Park after the Hiker Parade. Time limit 4 minutes each.
4pm at the Damascus Branch Library: Afternoon Yoga with Tori Bledsoe
4pm at the Granite Gear booth in the Town Park: Swing by anytime before 4pm on Friday to get entered into Granite Gear’s “Trail Name” raffle! 30 minutes of pure gear-giving-away! Simply stop by and pick up your “Trail Name” sticker and drop your name in the hat. It’s that easy! Participants must be wearing the corresponding Trail Name sticker at the time of the event and be present at the booth to win.
4:30-6pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Film Premiere – What do Darwin, Jennifer Pharr Davis, and
Sawyer Water Filters have in common? They are all far more than their on-trail personas. In 2022 they all traveled to Fiji to provide clean water filtration systems to remote villages. The film is the culmination of transformations: a youtube personality as a film director, a record-breaking hiker as a mother and business owner, and a piece of backpacking gear as a device that provides revolutionary international relief. As hikers we are good at finding out who we are on trail, this is a film about discovering who you are – and what you are capable of – off the trail.
5-8pm at Wicked Chicken Winghouse & Tavern: Live music by James Meadows
5pm at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
5:15-6:30pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: The Long Start to the Journey. Screening of one of the most well-received film documentaries of an AT thru-hike. Vivid images backed by a tasteful soundtrack, follow Chris ‘Frost’ Galloway’s 2013 thru-hike. It has it all: beauty, suffering, love, and overcoming tragedy. www.horizonlinepictures.com.
5:30-7:30pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by Jeremy Short!
Eastern Kentucky Space Funk artist Jeremy Short has quickly risen to the top shelf of must-hear blues guitar players on the scene.
5:45pm at the Get Outside Tour booth in the Manufacturer Rep Area: It’s Backpacker Magazine’s 50th
Anniversary and the Get Outside Tour is celebrating right here at Trail Days. Stop by to sign up for the Get Outside Tour’s Great Gear Giveaway. One of the largest giveaways of the weekend!
6:45-8pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: Search & Rescue in Southern Appalachia. Nancy East, author and accomplished GSNP hiker, is a member of one of the best search and rescue teams in the NC mountains. She will share stories of her team’s most harrowing missions and tips to stay ‘safe and sound’ based on the most common scenarios her team encounters. www.nancyeast.com.
7pm at Appalachian Heritage Distillery: Trail Days Open Mic – Entertain us with a story, sing a song, play an instrument, show off a talent, or tell a joke. Sign-up is at 7pm; show starts at 7:30pm.
7-10pm at One Way: Live music under the big tent with snacks and drinks
7-7:50pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Beginners’ Lesson for Evening Contra Dance. Warren & Terry Doyle (thru-hikers) will give you patient, fun instruction so you can not look too foolish at tonight’s dance. Don’t worry, contra dancing is neither Arthur Murray nor ‘Dancing With the Stars’.
8-11pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Annual Trail Days Contra Dance. Live music with patient, clear
dance instruction, and it’s FREE! For new dancers, please come to the beginners’ lesson beforehand at 7pm. “The most fun you can have standing up.” No partner or fancy duds needed. Please attend sober.
www.contradancersdelight.com.
8-10pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by Fritz & Co.! This band brings the fun with genre-defying exciting original material and a few beloved covers.
1am: Town-wide quiet hours begin at midnight on Friday and 1am on Saturday. No exceptions.


Sunday, May 21st
9-11am at the Rock School Auditorium: Successfully Walking the Entire AT. Dreaming of doing the AT either by thru-hiking or section hiking? There doesn’t have to be a 75% failure rate and all that waste of your time and money. Come get some time-tested, field proven wisdom by an elder who has ‘walked the walk’ and earned the right to ‘talk the walk’. www.warrendoyle.com
10am-1pm by the Caboose in the Town Park: Meet up to join in Responsible Stewardship’s Community Litter Cleanup. This all-volunteer litter cleanup helps remove the negative impact that festivals can have on a community, by removing litter throughout the whole town and festival areas. Come and help make our outdoor spaces a better place to recreate and our communities a better place to live. www.responsiblestewardship.org.
10am-6pm at Appalachian Heritage Distillery: Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar
10am at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy booth in the Town Park: ATC raffle drawing! Beginning at 11 AM on Friday, ATC will raffle off outdoor recreation gear. The final raffle will be on Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM. Participants must be present at the booth to win. Swing by to toss your name in the raffle!
10:30am-noon at Laurel Creek Park: Praise & Worship Service with a message by Brad ‘Shep’ Sasser and worship led by the Trail Days Ministry Team
10:30am-12:30pm from the Damascus Library: Join the American Chestnut Foundation on an interpretive hike of about 2.5 miles, Hiking With Ghosts, American Chestnuts on the Appalachian Trail, to see tree sprouts in the wild and hear the story of the American Chestnut’s past, present, and future.
11am on the Virginia Creeper Trail by the Damascus Town Park: Osprey Packs Trail Days 5K & Run
Happy Kids’ 1K – The course is a certified out-and-back 5K on the Virginia Creeper Trail with electronic B-tag timing by We Run Events. Awards for 5K overall winners and by age group. All Kids 1K participants will receive a medal and t-shirt. 11am start for the 5K with the Kids 1K to follow. www.rundamascus.com/the-race.
11am at the Damascus Trail Center: Rain Garden Talk and Rain Barrel Giveaway – The Upper Tennessee
River Roundtable will host a rain barrel 101 class in the Damascus Trail Center Classroom. Participants who attend will be entered to win their own rain barrel.
11:15-12:15pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Trail Epiphanies. Receiving the gifts the trail provides, IF you are aware and open to them. (no mention of ounces/pounds, equipment). www.warrendoyle.com
12-2pm at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by My New Favorites! My New Favorites feature a mix of honky-tonk and Appalachian music that is authentic enough for purists and progressive enough for folks ready to hear the Allman Bros. played on the old-time clawhammer banjo.
12-8pm at the Trail Town Event Center: Shop Till You Drop vendor market with thru-hikers and local artisans selling their handcrafted and AT-themed products. Custom jewelry, photos, artwork, wood carvings, candles, books, clothing, animal hides, and more.
12-4pm at Wicked Chicken Winghouse & Tavern: Live music by Adam Musick
12:15-2:15pm at the Damascus Trail Center: Rain Garden Planting and Native Plant Giveaway. Love native plants or wetlands? Help the Washington County Master Gardeners and Appalachian Trail Conservancy plant a native wetlands garden at the Damascus Trail Center. All supplies and refreshments will be provided. Volunteers who help will be entered into a native plant raffle!
12:20-1:30pm at the Rock School Auditorium: How to Day Hike the Entire AT. Yes, it can be done. Find out how. www.warrendoyle.com
1:30pm at One Way: Free Shuttles North and Southbound leave for Erwin and Bland – sign up at One Way
1:45-2:45pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Should the Trail be Closed for Health or Budgetary
Reasons? A moderated discussion trying to answer the question of: Are we hiking into a Brave New World or a Timid New World? www.warrendoyle.com
2:30-4:30 at the Town Park Gazebo: The Trail Days Committee hosts Live Music by Phantom! Perennial favorite Phantom will fill the air with its energetic renderings of ’70s & ‘80s rock and roll.
The schedule is subject to change. To see an updated schedule, visit www.VisitDamascus.org/TrailDays.